President Hofmann emphasized that 2023 was a very successful year for TUM. Bucking the trend at universities across Germany, the number of students rose to 52,000 - another new record and a doubling since 2010. 36% of students are now female - an increase of 119%. And 44% of all students are of international origin.
TUM Global South Initiative
As part of its new Global South Initiative, TUM strategically expands its relationships with research institutions in South America, Asia, and Africa. One of the most important partner universities is KNUST from Ghana. Its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rita Dickson, gave an insight into her perspectives as a guest speaker. Dickson sees the main task of universities as improving people's quality of life and training the next generation of innovative leaders. These leaders must be courageous, resilient, and creative, but above all, they must have emotional intelligence.
Dickson also praised KNUST's five-year partnership with TUM as a great success story. There are numerous joint research and teaching projects, he said. "We are stuck together for life," exclaimed Dickson.
Three TUM initiatives active in the Global South presented their projects at the Dies Academicus:
- TU eMpower Africa a is a student-run association that aims to supply villages in rural areas with renewable energy to improve living conditions and economic productivity.
- The TUM SEED Centers are active in numerous countries and try to bundle ideas for economic growth, start-ups, and sustainable infrastructure. The aim is to continuously expand practical knowledge through multicultural and multidisciplinary cooperation. Representatives from all eight SEED Centers participated in the Munich annual celebration.
- TUM.ai is a student initiative that attempts to use artificial intelligence (AI) to solve particular challenges faced by people in the Global South. They are committed to a world in which AI is not the privilege of a few states but a tool for all people.
You can find the full article on Dies Academicus 2023 at tum.de